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Fever treatment for infant
My 11month old son has a fever of 101.9. The doctor said to give him Motrin. I can't find it over-the-counter anymore. What should I do?
(15 Apr 2008)
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It is generally not advisable to substitute any medication on your own, especially in the case of such a young child. If you need a substitute, you can ask your chemist to suggest something – the medication you need is essentially ibuprofen, and will be available under numerous trade names. Be sure that you do not use a completely different drug – aspirin, for example, can be used to treat fever in adults, but is very dangerous for children.
If the chemist is able to give you an ibuprofen substitute, you can use it, but if not, you will need to go back to your doctor and ask him (or her) to suggest an alternative medication. You can also ask your doctor if you can simply do without the medication – it is not usually necessary to treat a fever, especially in children.
You should also remember that this treatment is only symptomatic, and should not be overdone. Ibuprofen is usually safe, but like any drug, it can have side effects. These are usually mild side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and rashes, and they usually occur only if the dose is too high or has been continued for too long. The fever may be due to some internal infection, and is itself only an external symptom of this infection. The infection will probably be resolved on its own, which is why your doctor has not recommended any other treatment. The ibuprofen is only meant to reduce your child’s discomfort in the meanwhile. Ensure that you give your son the right dosage, and continue the treatment for no longer than your doctor has recommended. In any case, a fever of 101.9 °F is usually considered to be only a low grade fever, so you have no real need to worry. Your son should be back to normal within a few days.
In the meanwhile, ensure that he is getting plenty of fluids. Usually, a fever in itself is not something to worry about – the real danger is the dehydration that a fever often causes. However, do not go overboard with this either – excessive consumption of water can also be harmful. In addition to this, the traditional treatment of placing a wet cloth on the forehead may also help. However, a more effective treatment for such a small child may simply be a bath with water that is slightly warm. Cold water might seem to be a better solution, but it is counterproductive as it constricts the blood vessels, thus reducing heat loss.
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answered by G M on 20 Jan 2010, 3:39:16
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Fever treatment for infant Fever causes a rise in the body's temperature, that makes it seem like a disorder but a fever is actually a defence mechanism used by the body to protect itself from viruses and bacteria that are actually more harmful to us. The most effective way to remedy a fever is to reduce the temperature of body. One way of doing this is to have our son drink as much water or fluids as possible. This helps bring down he temperature to certain extent and keeps the body hydrated as well. If you feed your son solid food refrain from doing so until the fever completely disappears.
Consult your doctor as to what is the next best over the counter medication that you can use to cure your son's fever as the he is young and the use of the wrong medication could create further complications. Making a tea of saffron is an effective remedy to treat the fever if you do not want to use fever medication. Take a half teaspoon of saffron and about 30 ml of boiling water. Give your son a teaspoon of the tea after about every one hour until his temperature returns to normal. Another remedy is to take a piece of cloth folded several times and dip it in a solution of salt water and apply this to your son's forehead, until his temperature becomes normal.
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answered by G M on 16 May 2008, 1:19:20
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Fever treatment for infant If you cannot find an over the counter solution for your child, you can try to take care of the fever at home. The thing to do when the child is affected is to try and bring down his body temperature and replace lost body fluids. Make the child drink substantial quantities of water to replace lost body fluids. You can also apply a strip of cloth to his forehead that has been dipped in a solution of cool water with some cologne added to it. this is an age old remedy to bring down body temperature. As the water becomes warm, keep adding a cube of ice to it. just remember that it must be cool at all times, and only then will it bring down the body temperature.
An old remedy to reduce fever is to put a slice of raw onion on the sole of the child's foot and tape it there. If you can leave this on overnight, the fever will break by morning. Onions will absorb all the heat from the child's body and take care of the fever quite effectively. Alternatively, you can also put small pieces of onion in the child's armpit. This is also a well-known method to absorb heat from the body and bring down the temperature.
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answered by M W on 15 Apr 2008, 5:21:48
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